[Zeke]

This may sound crazy, maybe that's why no one mentioned it. You could hold on to your condo and rent it when you absolutely need more room. In turn, you would go out and rent at that time. People have done this and the numbers work. You preserve a tax shelter, and over the long run, the condo will appreciate more. May take years, but real estate ALWAYS comes back bigger. At the point that you think the market has 'adjusted,' you can pull out a down payment by refi'ing the condo if you haven't stuffed enough money away from your salary. Crunch the numbers and/or talk to a financial advisor.

Also, if you think you are really good at forecasting, at the end of the 'adjustment,' you can probably buy from a still desparate seller (not necessarily financially desparate) who will sell you with a carry back and small down. It will be a buyer's market during any downturn. There's even the lease option. With your nose to the ground, you can come out smelling like roses. It really helps to have someone in the real estate business. They might be vultures, but at times, vultures are good.